


The Mages Association v Rin Tohsaka, Sixth Head of the Tohsaka Family, Caretaker of Fuyuki, Japan

by Megkips



Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel)
Genre: Gen, Legal Drama, Mages behaving badly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-21
Updated: 2014-05-21
Packaged: 2018-01-25 23:13:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1666019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megkips/pseuds/Megkips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin prepares, then defends herself against the Mages Association, following the events of Heaven's Feel, and gains a network of support as she does so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Rin glares at the hotel walls, at their plain, off-white blandness, at the unremarkable oak furniture, at the space the television occupies. She has memorized every single inch of the room, every wrinkle in the bedspread, every stain in the carpet, every spot of mildew growing in the bathroom, and every mark on the wall. It’s the only means of entertainment she has – Rin has been in the room since her arrest by the Mages Association on the twenty second of February, and it has been a very long, tedious, week and a half, filled with nondescript, silent Association enforcers coming and going to bring her food, and occasionally a missive from the Association informing her of when to expect an exact trial date.

The clock on the miniscule nightstand ticks to 13:00, and Rin sighs, collapsing into the pitifully small chair at the equally small desk shoved into the corner of the room. If she’s getting lunch today, it’ll be now.

A soft knock sounds, followed by the usual request to please stand back from the door. It’s a pointless instruction, really, since there’re enough spells on the room to keep Rin imprisioned for eternity if the Association decided to do so.

“Miss Tohsaka.” 

The voice is new. It’s still English, it’s still crisp and posh and reeks of authority in a way that Rin has come to resent, but the point remains: it’s new. So rather than ignore the individual delivering her lunch - and it looks halfway decent today, some sort of pressed sandwich with a bowl of soup, plus a pot of hot water with a selection of tea bags - Rin gives him the once-over. He’s tall, which Rin admits isn’t too much of a surprise. Everyone is tall in the Association, it seems. His long black hair suggests that he’s a weaker mage who has to rely on hair or other items to store extra mana, and the clothes he has on - a long red coat and yellow scarf over a grey suit, all slim fitted – look far too expensive, and might well be custom made. The clash of the clothes with the tea tray makes him look ridiculous, and his sour face makes the whole thing look even more comical. Not laughing is a struggle.

“Thanks,” Rin says, keeping her amusement in check as the mage sets the tray down on the desk. “No messages or anything about the trial?”

The translation spell fixed to the room crackles to life. “Not precisely. But I’d like a moment of your time.”

Rin watches as the man walks over to the door and closes it behind him, her eyes narrowed. The lock clicks, and he walks back over. 

“I’m Lord El-Melloi II,” he says. Rin has enough knowledge of what lords do in the Association to know that the title’s important. But being only the second person to hold the title, well, that means he doesn’t command as much attention as the other lords yet, who are on Roman numerals V or XI. Before he can go any further, Rin scoffs.

“And you’re talking to me why?”

“I participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War,” he says, levelly. “And I have a certain number of issues with how the Mage’s Association is treating your present situation. I’d like to help.”  
Rin meets Lord El-Melloi II’s eyes, careful to keep her face unreadable. “Prove that you participated in the Fourth War.”

He matches her coolness exactly, and dares to take a seat on the bed. The fact that it creaks is a testament more to the age of the bed than Lord El-Melloi II’s weight - he’s awfully skinny under that coat. “How would you like me to do so?” he asks.

“Name the Saber class servant, and describe them.”

“King Arthur,” he says. Rin waits for him to continue. “Young woman, early to mid teens. Blonde hair, green eyes, battle dress in a dark blue. Short. Noble Phantasm, Excalibur, which is an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm. Saw it in use on the Mion River, against Caster, and then again against my own servant on one of the roads that lead out of Fuyuki. Any other proof you’d like me to provide?”

“That will do for now,” Rin replies. “Pass me that bowl of soup. And continue with why you’d like to help.”

Lord El-Melloi II does as he is asked, and once Rin has settled in with her soup, he looks at her, waiting for permission to begin. Rin sighs, and prompts him with a simple, “Well?”

“I have a basic understanding of how chaotic Grail Wars are,” he begins. He’s making an effort to look at Rin, and Rin hates the sense of obligation to put down the bowl and pay attention to what she’s sure is really just a political speech. She continues to eat. “Meaning that when I saw the charges against you, I knew they were absolute bullshit.”

Something goes down the wrong pipe, and it takes Rin a moment of spluttering to choke out, “And you’re a _lord_?”

“Against all odds,” Lord El-Melloi II says cheerfully. “I dislike when the Association tries to get something through dubious means at the best of times, and I take particular issue when they decide that it’s perfectly acceptable to hold a young magus responsible for a known chaotic ritual that arrived fifty years too early. A ritual that they, in the past, have made a point of not interfering with even though it has caused the deaths of countless Association members, and most recently, destroyed a huge portion of the host city.”

Rin considers the speech as she eats another spoonful of soup. Then another. Then a third. “That’s not a very good sales pitch, El-Melloi.”

Lord El-Melloi II cringes visibly. “Could you kindly add that II on? The title is unbearable otherwise.”

Rin notes that he should only be called El-Melloi from now on. “I mean, you’re basically coming in here, offering to help because you like to annoy the Association, and I’m a means to that end,” she says. “Although you’re upfront about using me, which is a surprise.”

“You’re not wrong for seeing me and my motives as just another way to antagonize the Association,” Lord El-Melloi II replies, resting his forearms on his legs and angling his head so he’s still looking at Rin. “Or for doubting the fact I genuinely want to help. But answer me this: do you agree that the charges against you are a pile of rubbish?”

“Pass me the sandwich,” Rin says instead, the soup in her bowl now gone. Lord El-Melloi II does so, like it’ll magically produce the answer he’s after. When Rin responds to his question with only more chewing, he sighs.

“Think what I’ve said over, at the very least.” With that, he stands up, all legs and creaking bones. It’s a surprise, for someone who looks like he’s maybe thirty at the most. “Enjoy the rest of your lunch, Miss Tohsaka.”

When he’s got his hand on the door, Rin clears her throat. “El-Melloi.”

There’s that cringe again. He’s not even facing Rin, and she can see it in his shoulders. “Yes?”

“Would you prefer that I call you by your name, rather than your title? And if so, what _is_ your name?”

“Yes, that might be preferable,” he says, turning back to Rin. “My name is Waver Velvet.”

And without another word, he’s gone.

***

BBC Three has been on for hours. The remote is out of batteries and the power button on the television is broken, so Rin considers yet another episode of Eastenders a part of her punishment.

It’s preferable to the paperwork resting on the desk though. The Association finally sent over the formalized charges against her the other day, along with what was termed the obligatory explanation of the trial process, written in cumbersome legalese: she would be walking into a courtroom where the judge would be acting not only as the judge, but as the prosecution and jury. The charges would be read out by the judge, and then she’d be permitted to argue the charges for as long as she’d like. There’d be a cross-examination after that, and then the verdict would be given. It’d all be done under the eyes of other mages, who could come and watch, and that would be that. The explanation the paperwork provided was essentially the same as what she had been told on her long arrest flight from Japan to the UK, but there was something about having it written down that made everything more real and infinitely more terrifying.

Rin shifts her attention to the television, knowing that contemplating the trial’s format and how ridiculous it is will lead her to worrying about Fuyuki’s present state. She doesn’t doubt that the Association has been crawling all over the place since she’s left, surveying the damage from the Grail War, asking Sakura too many questions, looking at Rider with furrowed brows. Shirou’s probably, well. She doesn’t know what state Shirou is in, and there’s no way to find out.

“Dinner,” a voice says on the other side of the door. Rin barely acknowledges the noise, doesn’t look the Enforcer in the eye as he brings dinner in. Just as well; he thunks the tray down and then leaves without a word.

Rin sighs, and looks over the contents of the bowl that’s been placed front and center of the tray. Stew, of some sort, with brown sauce and brown chunks of meat, the occasional bit of colour being provided by a carrot chunk or a few peas. It’ll taste bland, of course, because all of Rin’s dinners have tasted bland since arrival.

Begrudgingly, Rin picks up the fork provided and takes an experimental bite. There’s salt, to her surprise, and she thinks paprika. Shirou would have added a little bit of caynne pepper, maybe some cumin, and made this meat - lamb? – and made curry, rather than a gross brown mess of salty nothingness. 

“Ugh,” she mutters to herself, forcing the glop down her throat. Refusing to eat the stuff is tempting, as is complaining loudly that to call what’s on her plate food is a lie, but it’s a childish thing to do, and so Rin forces the thought aside, and focuses on getting the rest of the meal down her throat with minimal retching.

The salty mess disappears, but is replaced with El-Melloi II’s smug voice echoing in Rin’s head. _You’re not wrong for seeing me and my motives as just another way to antagonize the Association,_ the voice repeats. 

“Oh don’t tell me—“ she grumbles, certain that she El-Melloi II’s mere visit had been a means to bother the Association, never mind might have been slightly illegal. With a frustrated grunt, Rin opens the single drawer that her hotel-prison desk has, withdrawing her only reading material: an explanation of the incarceration process, produced on plain copy paper.

There’s a section about visitors, Rin knows it - it isn’t the first time she’s read the document. It is, however, the first time she’s given that particular clause any attention. “Where are you,” Rin mutters, flipping through the pages. “Right, clause eight, visitors to the accused.”

 _The accused may receive, in excess, two visitors per day, who may stay for one hour each,_ , the document says, in plain typeface. _This excludes Enforcers who may enter the room in order to deliver meals or messages from the Mage’s Association. Visitors may speak with the accused, and offer legal counsel, as well as retrieve evidence for the accused if requested. Visitors to the accused will be subject to close scrutiny by the Association. The accused may not request visitors._

Rin flips the packet of papers closed and puts it back in the drawer. Eastenders changes to a documentary, and Rin thinks that watching something about the problems of England might be just enough distraction for the evening. She moves from the desk to her bed, and lets the narration - dry, monotone - fill the room, and her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With eternal thanks to [Penitence Road](http://archiveofourown.org/users/penitence_road) for the beta and her patience.


	2. Chapter 2

To Rin’s surprise, Lord El-Melloi II arrives with lunch a second day in a row, looking even more ridiculous than the day before, thanks to his dark red rain boots.

“So can I ask how you’ve been getting in here?” Rin says, before he can even set the tray down.

Lord El-Melloi II replies with a little laugh. “If I told you, you’d have another charge against you.” 

Rin has no idea why she thought he’d go about the whole thing according to the Association’s rules. “Where should I put this?” El-Melloi II asks, holding the tray up a little.

“Desk.”

The tray is placed down, and Lord El-Melloi II’s attention goes to the stack of papers taking up space there. “These are the formal charges, then?”

“They are. Can I eat before you start talking about the trial?”

“Mmhmm.”

Lord El-Melloi II snatches the papers off the desk, and moves to stand in the corner of the room while Rin eats. Every so often she hears a mutter from him, but otherwise the room remains dead quiet until her lunch is gone and her eyes have come to focus on him.

“You’re charged with failing to keep a secret mage ritual a secret, allowing - or at least not looking into - the assassination of Bazett Fraga McRemitz, an Enforcer from the Association who they sent to Fuyuki to participate in the war, and allowing a gate to the Root to open on your land without the supervision of the Association. As of now, the Association hasn’t decided what will be your punishment if you’re found guilty,” he says, the words coming out of his mouth with alarming casualty. El-Melloi II places the papers down, and turns his attention from them to Rin. “Give me your current defense.”

“The first two? That’s on Kirei. He’s the Church’s overseer, he needed to help me, and failed. Running a Grail War alone is impossible.”

Lord El-Melloi II’s expression is neutral. “The last one?”

“Relates right back to charge two,” Rin says. “The Association knows that the wish that the Einzbern, Matou, and Tohsaka would make, upon acquiring the Grail, would be to get to the Root. If the Association sends someone, then there’s no problem. If that representative dies, then it becomes an issue, and there’s almost no time to contact the Association to ask for another supervisor due to the simple nature of how chaotic the Grail Wars are.”

Finally, Lord El-Melloi’s carefully blank face changes into something more disapproving. His eyebrows furrow, and lips purse, thin and unimpressed. “That’s what you’re going with?”

“Well, it’s a start!” Rin snaps.

“It’s weak,” he corrects. “Very weak, and full of holes.”

Rin folds her arms over her chest and glares. “Pick one charge and argue it better, then.”

“Number two,” he volleys back. “Did you know that Miss McRemitz was participating in the war?”

“No,” Rin murmurs, her arms relaxing slightly. “I didn’t even know the Association had sent anyone until these charges appeared--”

Lord El-Melloi II hums thoughtfully. “And who would have kept that information from you? Clearly the Association thought you knew.”

The words leave Rin’s mouth like a curse. “Kirei Kotomine.”

“Okay,” Lord El-Melloi II says. “So if I was arguing point two, I’d go about it like this: I find it impossible to be held responsible for failing to look into the assassination of the Association’s Enforcer Bazett Fraga McRemitz, as I had not been informed of her participation in the Fifth Holy Grail War. My ignorance of this matter is due to the fact that Kirei Kotomine failed to inform me that he had spoken to the Association about it. From there, I’d begin to explain why this man would not have shared that information. I assume that you didn’t have the best working relationship with him.”

“You assume correctly. What about the first charge?”

“Easy,” Lord El-Melloi II says, leaning against the wall. “In regards to my responsibility to keep the Grail War secret, I realize that I bear a great deal of responsibility. The damage that was done to Fuyuki, while nowhere as great as the Fourth Grail War, is reprehensible. With that said, I would like to point out that I did not have a great amount of resources available to me. The presence of Kirei Kotomine as overseer proceeded to be a great hindrance rather than a help, which relates directly to charge two, and with the Association far away and events moving so quickly, I was unable to contact the appropriate people. In addition, I would like to remind everyone assembled that the Grail is expected to reappear once every sixty years, giving the heads of the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families adequate time to prepare. I was given ten. This meant that the usual preparations were not in place, and that had a great impact on my ability to control the damage, command a servant, and participate in the war as my family expected of me.” He pauses to catch his breath, then adds, “Ideally you should set up your defense of the second charge in the first one. You can talk a little bit about the problems Kirei caused, and then solidify the issue with a solid example in the form of charge two. Moreover, you do need to point out, politely, that the Association didn’t hold anyone responsible for the massive destruction that the Fourth War caused.”

“Isn’t pointing out something like that going to just make them angrier?” Rin asks, trying not to smirk as Lord El-Melloi II looks around for something to wet his throat. “There’s a water glass in the bathroom.”

“First, yes, but it also will make them stop and think. Being inconsistent looks bad,” he replies, heading towards the bathroom. “Second, thank you.”  
Rin waits for Lord El-Melloi II to return from the bathroom before asking her next question. “So charge three?”

“Three, you’ve got the right line of reasoning,” he says, glass of water now in hand. “The safeguards in place fell through, and you didn’t have the time to fix them - and, moreover, you were unaware that they had fallen down in the first place. Had you known, things might have been different, but you’ll also need to get into detail about why you didn’t think to get in contact with the Association when you realized there was no Association representative participating in the fight - and you will need to talk about why you didn’t realize that representative wasn’t there. The nature of the wars is a fine defense, but you’ll have to go into detail about what was going on at the time for you.”

“How much detail?” Rin asks, her arms now lowered.

For a moment, there’s no answer from Lord El-Melloi II. “More than you’ll want to give, I’m afraid,” he says softly. “But it’s possible to word things precisely so that the emotional aspects are minimal.”

“That can’t be all there is to it.”

“No, of course not,” Lord El-Melloi II replies. “But it’s the best place to start. If I came here tomorrow, or the day after, do you think it possible for you to have a better thought-out defense against the first charge?”

“Can you give me a more specific deadline?” Rin asks, watching as Lord El-Melloi II stands up and begins to head for the door.

El-Melloi II pauses in his tracks to consider the question. “No,” he responds, after a moment. “But it’ll be tomorrow or the day after. I’m sorry I can’t be more concrete.”

“Then my answer is a concrete maybe, since you might show up tomorrow and I’ll have a blank page.” The words out more hostile than Rin intends it to.

To Rin’s surprise, El-Melloi II nods agreeably and offers a simple, “Good enough.”

He exits, the door shutting softly behind him. Rin picks up her terms-of-incarceration packet again and begins to flip through it, to see if notebook and writing implements are covered anywhere.

***

Rin stares at the notebook in front of her begrudgingly, and sighs. Her writing is sloppy, her porridge is now ice cold, and the rain is bucketing down outside of her single window. She hasn’t slept at all, thanks to the demand that she write a perfect defense against her first charge. Rin offers the notebook a resentful glance, and her mind goes back to Fuyuki again. If this was school, it’d be easier - there’d be a trick somewhere, something obvious. No subterfuge, no greater consequence than a bad grade and a few disappointed looks from her teachers.

A knock sounds on her door. 12:30, the clock says, and Rin feels her shoulders slump forward. _I didn’t even get twenty four hours to write_ ,” she thinks miserably.

Lord El-Melloi II walks in, his red coat gone, and jeans and a t-shirt on in place of his suit. It looks weird on him, like there’re layers missing, but Rin doesn’t say anything. She just watches as he closes the door, and seats himself on the edge of the bed.

“Sorry about the clothes,” he says in place of _hello_. “There was an accident during a student lab, I needed to change. We nearly had to call the fire department.” 

Rin stares. “I see,” she manages, after a moment. He hadn’t mentioned that he was a teacher before, but now wasn’t the time to ask what he taught. Besides, the burnt chemical spell gave it away - alchemy. “Here,” she continues, making to hand Waver her notebook. “I wrote--”

“--No,” Lord El-Melloi II says, automatically, refusing to take it. “Argue it to my face. Also, my Japanese is terrible, so I wouldn’t be able to read it without the use of a translation spell, which is something I don’t have the energy for at the moment.”

Rin takes a moment to glance down at the notebook, skims over what she’s put down, and takes a deep breath. “Okay,” she says, more to herself than to him. “Charge one: failing to keep a secret mage ritual a secret. 

“I admit that I was unable to maintain full secrecy in regards to the events of the Grail War. While I don't deny that I bear responsibility for this, I would like to say that by and large, my resources were minimal and frequently compromised. Whereas my father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, had decades to prepare, I had several weeks, and while he was in his late thirties, with plenty of experience as a magus, I am eighteen with far less knowledge and fewer connections in the Association, especially since so few Association mages are in East Asia.

“While I realize this seems repetitive, I cannot emphasize this enough: the Grail appeared fifty years ahead of time. It is typical for the Tohsaka to spend all of that time surveying the damage from the past war, covering things up, rebuilding damaged sites, and investigating the best ways to prevent future problems. It also allows us time to befriend people in Fuyuki that are willing to look the other way, as well as discuss potential problems with the Matou and Einzbern. While I understand that most magi would not accept this minimized time frame as a reason to excuse the charge, I would like to point out that I was eight years old when the previous war occurred, making the preparations I just described impossible. I do not think anyone here would expect someone that young to be capable of such work, never mind mature or experienced enough.

“This brings me to my appointed guardian, the late Father Kirei Kotomine. The Association, you will recall, gave this Church Executor dispensation to study magecraft under my father, and to participate in the Fourth Holy Grail War. My father named Kotomine my guardian, and as such, Kotomine controlled much of the business of the Tohsaka family. I was not included in any sort of mage business relating to running my family and ties with the Association until I was thirteen, and that contact was extremely limited. Kotomine failed to inform me of many things, as it has turned out, including the ruined financial state of the Tohsaka, as well as information concerning the participants in the Fifth War. This poor communication, which I was unable to circumvent, relates directly to the second charge against me.”

Rin pauses to catch her breath. Lord El-Melloi II looks at her expectantly. With her breath back, Rin concludes the argument.

“I would also like to point out that while I failed to keep the secrecy of the ritual intact, the Fourth War had much more destruction involved and received no such attention. I recognize that this is, in part, due to the fact that the Church's overseer as well as my father passed during the ritual, but that does not excuse the fact that after the Great Fuyuki Fire, the Association did not press any charges against anyone involved, or try to stop the Grail Wars altogether for having such a massive potential to expose magecraft to the world. It is inconsistent of the Association to ignore such a traumatizing event to a community as the fire, and then turn to me when I had a third of the time to prepare for a ritual that is, by nature, hard to control.”

Silence concludes the argument. Lord El-Melloi II nods in approval, and offers a soft, “Much better.”

Rin narrows her eyes. “But not perfect.”

“No,” he agrees. “But it is better. I think that you could elaborate on Kotomine more, although the best way to do that is to have actual financial records to demonstrate how much he screwed everything up.”

“That’s easy enough to get,” Rin says, only to slump forward in grim realization. “Or would be, if I was back in Fuyuki. I can’t access it, and you don’t have time to fly out at get it.”

“I could call someone for you,” Lord El-Melloi II says.

“Won’t that look suspicious?”

“Just give me a phone number and a list of documents, as well as notes on where those documents probably are. I’ll see what I can do.”

Rin responds by turning to a blank page in her notebook and writing a list down on the paper. She makes sure that it’s in English, and that her writing is legible. 

“Here,” she says, ripping the paper out of the notebook. “Try the first phone number, and ask for the name I wrote under the phone number. She’ll have access to everything, or else the documents don’t exist. The second number is in case she doesn’t pick up at the first. Tell her you’re calling on my behalf.”

“Understood,” Lord El-Melloi II replies, taking the paper from her. “Should I tell her what’s going on here?”

Rin pauses. “If you think it safe to do so.”

“I’ll use my judgment then,” he says, folding the paper up into quarters and then pocketing it. “I’ll try and make sure I come bearing food next time.”

“It’s fine, El-Melloi.”

There’s that cringe again. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it tomorrow, but the next time we meet, can you prepare the second defense?”

Rin lets out a little hollow laugh. “Like I have anything else to do here.”

“A fair point,” he replies. “I’ll get on the phone to Miss Sakura immediately.”

When El-Melloi leaves this time, Rin doesn’t watch him go, or linger on their conversation. She instead walks over to the bed and flops atop it, her exhaustion finally catching up to her. It’s the first time since the start of the Grail War that she’s fallen asleep so fast.

***

When Rin wakes up, the digital clock in the room says that it’s 23:00 and her dinner has been sitting on her desk for several hours. There’s the usual pre-cut meat - no knives for prisoners - a helping of something green, and a pile of potatoes in either mashed or chip form. The only surprise on the tray is a dark purple envelope. Upon further inspection, it bears an address from Fuyuki written in thin, precise lettering.

“Tohsaka Rin, care of the Mage’s Association,” Rin mutters darkly, plucking the envelop up and opening it. There’s no way Sakura could know how ironic the words are. Or, well, if El-Melloi managed to call her, she might.

The paper is a light green, which Rin imagines came from some rotting desk in the Matou household. There’s some relief that the date is only from a few days ago, and that the Association didn’t hold onto the letter very long. Rin doesn’t doubt that they read it.

 _Hi,_ the letter begins, with no further preamble. It’s uncharacteristic of Sakura in the extreme, but Rin imagines it was written quickly.

_I thought that you would like to know how things are going in Fuyuki. Miss M is still here, and has been staying with me in the house for the time being. We have been checked up on by people here, and a few strangers who are curious as to what happened in the past few weeks. They seem interested in Miss M the most, but Miss M has kept them from asking too many questions about her personal life._

_The temple is in a state of disarray, although there has been digging for the cause of the cave-in. Miss M has helped, as she feels responsible to do so. The weather hasn’t been good though - lots of rain. I guess it must match London’s weather._

_When possible, I have been trying to look after things here, but it has not been possible yet. I hope that you will come back soon, since you probably know how to do this better than I do._

Rin sighs, running her fingers over Sakura’s signature. The Association’s still crawling all over Fuyuki, assessing damage and probably adding it as evidence against her in the trial. They’re looking at Rider as something to be investigated, maybe to be tested on. The temple’s going to take too long to rebuild, and Sakura’s pointedly included nothing about Shirou.

Not that she should have. The five minutes Rin was given to pack before being escorted to London by Association Enforcers had allowed her time to write a note and leave it on her bed, hidden with enough magecraft so that only Sakura could find it. The note’s instructions had been clear: if any mage approached Fuyuki in the next weeks and months, Shirou, Rider’s status as a servant, and the Grail War in general was not to be discussed in any terms, for everyone’s safety.

She places the letter down, beside the dinner tray, and sighs. With any luck, El-Melloi II will be able to give her more accurate news from Fuyuki, or else she’ll have to find a way to ask for a phone call home. Somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With eternal thanks to [Penitence Road](http://archiveofourown.org/users/penitence_road) for the beta and her patience.


	3. Chapter 3

Breakfast comes at 9:00, delivered by an Enforcer. Toast, hot water for tea, jam, and porridge. The tray is placed down on Rin’s desk - its habit now, and Rin doesn’t like that one bit - but the Enforcer lingers.

“Yes?” Rin says, not moving from her seat on the far end of the bed.

The Enforcer takes out an envelope from the interior of his coat pocket, and offers it to Rin. “Your court date.”

Rin is quiet as she takes the envelope. The Enforcer remains where he is, watching her.

“I am legally required to watch you open it, and hear you read the document out loud,” he clarifies, after Rin’s eyes have moved from the paper back to him, questioning his presence. His posture stiffens under her gaze, and Rin thinks that Rider would be proud.

“To Miss Rin Tohsaka, Sixth Head of the Tohsaka Family, caretaker of Fuyuki, Japan,” she says, just loud enough for the Enforcer to hear. Rin forces herself to carry on in a monotone. The Association isn’t allowed to hear anything like fear in her voice. “Your trial, for the three charges outlined in the legal document _The Mage’s Association vs Rin Tohsaka, Sixth Head of the Tohsaka Family, caretaker of Fuyuki, Japan_ , will take place five days hence, on 10 March 2006, at 10:00 AM. The procedure for the trial is outlined in the same document mentioned above. Please be prepared to depart for the trial at 9:15 in the morning. Bring all items you will use as evidence in your defense with you. Any and all magic items, besides those being used as evidence in your defense, will be confiscated. Signed, Judge George Ashman.” She places the paper down, and looks at the Enforcer. “Do I need to read all the titles under his name too?”

“No, Miss Tohsaka,” is the reply. “And that concludes my duty here. Good day.”

The Enforcer turns his back to her and walks out, leaving Rin to glare at the paper. Five days to finish her defense, to make sure that Sakura can send all the documents on time so that Rin will have _some_ way out.

Rin’s stomach growls, and she moves to the desk. The toast will be all right. It smells like cinnamon-raisin, meaning she’ll have had one good meal while being imprisoned.

***

There’s no lunch today, but at 16:00, Lord El-Melloi II walks in with two cups of _something_ from Costa Coffee. He offers the one in his left hand to Rin, then sips the one in his right.

“Plain coffee,” he says, just as Rin blurts out, “My court date’s on the tenth.”

“Good,” Lord El-Melloi II says, watching as Rin sets her drink down. “What time?”

“Ten o’clock in the morning.” She gestures for Lord El-Melloi II to take a seat on the bed. It might as well be his usual spot now. “Did you call Sakura last night?”

“Yes, I did get in touch with her,” he says once he’s settled and taken another long swig of coffee. “But before we discuss that, I need to inform you of something else: the nature of my coming and going has changed.”

“Oh?”

“I was paying off the cook and your guards so I could come and speak with you. The Association has become aware of this, and is displeased.”

Rin feels her lips purse together, and she leans forward. “And that means what for you?”

“A few things,” he replies. “First, I’m to be checked before coming to visit you, lest I be sneaking you information on how to escape, or any such nonsense. Second, it means that they’re aware that I’m reaching out to you and trying to help - something that reflects poorly on me and my ability to judge character, as far as they’re concerned. They’ll also be listening in on the conversations here more frequently - I assume you’ve known this place is bugged - as well as following me around for a while. The only advantage gained is that I’m permitted one visit a day, for the maximum of an hour, without having to sneak about.”

“Weird,” Rin murmurs, straightening up. “I’d think they would try and limit the time to something like ten minutes.”

Lord El-Melloi II shakes his head no. “The longer we talk the more chance there is that we might reveal information that’ll help their case.”

“Great,” she sighs. “Does this mean we can’t discuss the phone call you made to Sakura or--?”

“It’s entirely possible they listened in on it anyway, so I think it’s a safe risk.”

“Then tell me what she said.”

“Well,” Lord El-Melloi II begins, leaning back on the bed and supporting his weight with his forearms. “She was a little shaken by how fast the trial was coming together, and asked if a particular letter had gotten to you. I said I’d confirm that today, which--”

“--Yeah,” Rin says, picking the letter up off the desk. “I got it.”

“Good.” Lord El-Melloi II waits for Rin to put the letter back down, then continues. “So with that said, I focused my attention on asking her to get those documents you wanted. She said that the ones in your house would be easy enough to access, since no one is there right now, but the ones at the church would be harder, because she’d need the time to get up there. She assured me that she’d rush to the church today, so I’m hoping that there will be a phone message confirming her success or failure soon.”

“Did she say anything else?”

“No. We agreed to keep conversation minimal and to business.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Rin murmurs, feeling something inside of her sink. That meant it’d be impossible to ask about the state of Fuyuki, about Rider, about Shirou, without the Association knowing. 

“Did you want to go over your second defense?” Lord El-Melloi II’s voice asks, pulling Rin from her train of thought.  
“Oh. Yes, please.”

Lord El-Melloi II nods. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Right.” Rin stands up, making her way to the little space between the window and the bed, notebook in hand. “I figured I should try and stand up when I’m doing these, so I’m used to it during the defense. They won’t let me sit, will they?”

Rin swears there’s a hint of a smile on Lord El-Melloi II’s face when he says, “They won’t, no. Good thinking.”

“All right.” Rin takes a glance at her notebook, draws in a breath, and begins. "As for the charge concerning my failure to look into the assassination of Enforcer Bazett Fraga McRemitz, I will confess this: I was not aware that she had been dispatched to Fuyuki by the Mage’s Association in order to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War. As previously established, Kirei Kotomine handled a large amount of correspondence with the Association on behalf of the Tohsaka. Moreover, as the overseer sent by the church, formal petitions to participate in the war were his domain. Like the financial records I showed you, Kotomine failed to show me any communication between himself and the Association regarding the presence of Enforcer Bazett Fraga McRemitz. I would also add that the location of her body, which you found on the property of the church in Fuyuki, adds to my ignorance. The little information I was told was that the grave was shallow, and hastily dug. With that in mind, I ask how could I have possibly known that her death had occurred?"

Finished, Rin looks at Lord El-Melloi II’s impassive face, trying to gauge a reaction. “Well done,” he says, finally. “Although--”

“--Although what?” Rin repeats. 

“I imagine that the Association might have records of its correspondence with Kotomine about this.”

“ _Might_ ,” Rin says. “And I don’t know if he would have kept those records himself. I imagine he saw himself surviving, and would have destroyed that documentation to keep himself safe.”

“That’s possible,” Lord El-Melloi II murmurs. “But you should prepare to argue against that proof, just in case.”

“How can I argue _that_?” Rin snaps, folding her arms over her chest and offering Lord El-Melloi II a look of cold irritation. “It becomes he-said she-said.”

“You’ll need to double up on the discussion of that shallow grave. Do you know any more details about the condition of her body?”

Rin shakes her head no. “Only that it was found.”

“You’ll need to ask the judge, then, during the trial.”

“Will I even be answered?”

“Likely yes,” is the response, said with a faux cheer. “They’ll want to use everything against you.”

“Wait,” Rin says, eyes narrowing. “You know more about that discovery, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he confirms. “But it’s not in your best interest to know about it. They limited that information for a reason, and if you know more than they’ve told you, it makes you look like you were aware of the Enforcer’s presence and participation in the war. You’re not. You need to keep it as such.”

“That’s _stupid_!”

“Its good strategy,” Lord El-Melloi II corrects, a flicker of heat in his voice. “I realize I’m asking for your trust in not telling you something and that comes off as _very_ bad, but--”

“--Whatever,” Rin says, silencing him. “Any other things I’m going to need to ask the judge about?”

“The body will be the big one. I’ll try and think up others this evening.”

Rin leans back, letting the wall support her weight. “The documents they gave me didn’t say that I’m allowed to ask questions.”

A soft, bitter chuckle escapes Lord El-Melloi II. “Technically, you’re not,” he says. “But if you ask for clarification, they have to give it, no matter how much they want to prosecute this case and be done with it.” He sighs, shaking his head miserably.

“I’m confused,” Rin replies, narrowing her eyes. “If they’re so desperate to get it over with, why have a trial at all?”

“Tradition,” he shrugs. “A sense of obligation, and the fact that people would accuse the Association of failing to obey its basic rules.”

“But they’re picking and choosing which ones to even follow!”

“Welcome to the Mage’s Association,” Lord El-Melloi II says flatly. “It happens.”

“El-Melloi!” Rin snaps in return. “You can’t say something like it’s a show trial and then that’s the Association back-to-back!”

“ _Keep the II or call me Waver_ ,” is the automatic correction, low and dangerous. The next words out of his mouth are delivered in the same tone. “And I can very much say that because it’s true. The Association, as I believe you have found out, is self-centered, and wants to protect itself, as well as gain the resources of other mages - like gates to the Root. Since you had one of those open on your land, and failed to contact the Association when it happened, you’re being prosecuted. Moreover, and I think you’ve gotten a taste of this; the Association’s view of the East is caught in nineteenth century British race politics. You’re in the backwater and don’t know what you’re doing, therefore they’re justified in coming over and mucking about. Everyone knows the Association does this stuff on a regular basis, and they want the Association to be accountable for its actions. That’s why they’re bothering with a trial - it’s to falsely demonstrate due diligence and to make it look like they’re held in check by their own laws, even though the reality of the situation is completely different.”  
“That’s--” Rin starts, then stops. After a few moments, she manages a soft, “Oh.” Lord El-Melloi II’s eyes rest on her, confusion plain on his face.

When the bed creaks to fill in the silence, she expects the door to open, then slam shut in utter anger. Instead, there’s a hand on her shoulder, gently walking her to the bed and helping her to sit.

“It is massively unfair,” Lord El-Melloi II adds, his voice now coming from Rin’s right. “And the reality of the Association and how it works is harder to confront when you haven’t grown up in the heart of it.”

“I’ve known about how it works, on some level,” Rin says. “ _Keep the Association in your debt_.”

“Words to live by,” Lord El-Melloi II agrees. “You’ll manage it if you win. The Association will have dragged your name, your _family’s_ name through the mud, in order to cover its own ass. That’s something to dangle over their head for a lifetime.”

“I just have to win.”

“You’ll win.”

“They haven’t even told me what will happen if I don’t.”

Lord El-Melloi II stays quiet at that. 

Rin breathes out, then leans forward, so that her forearms rest atop her knees. “Is there a reason they haven’t listed the consequences of my charges?

“Mmm,” Lord El-Melloi II says after a tense moment. “Fear, mostly.”

“But there must be precedents--”

“--There are, but you don’t want me to get into the what-ifs.”

“Yes, I do,” she corrects.

“You don’t need the additional stress.”

“I need to confirm what’s at stake.”

Lord El-Melloi II’s entire body slumps in defeat. “Don’t get ideas,” he murmurs to one of the walls, addressing any Association members that might be listening in, before turning to Rin. “They can revoke your family’s land. They can give you a sealing designation, effectively ending the Tohsaka family crest. The Association could combine these things into one punishment, and it’d be fitting enough, since in their eyes you failed as a land caretaker and as a mage.”

Rin nods. “Go on.”

“They could just kill you,” he continues. “But that’d be too easy. If they’re feeling creative, they might exile you from your own lands and limit where you can live - say, in London. If they don’t seal your family crest, and I am loathe to say this part as I _hate_ how it always comes back to a mage’s offspring, the next of the Tohsaka line would be raised under Association watch, enabling the Association to exert more control over your family.”

“I see,” Rin says flatly. “I assume the creative options are why they fail to list direct consequences on paperwork?”

“You’d be correct,” Lord El-Melloi II confirms.

Rin offers him a flat stare, and nods in acknowledgement. The options are terrifying, but knowing what they are - even in hypotheticals - is a comfort. They’re motivation - not concrete, of course - but good enough for her purposes. “Can you come tomorrow so we can revise the next part?”

“Of course.” The bed creaks again, adjusting to the lack of weight from Lord El-Melloi II. “I’ll hopefully have documents from Miss Sakura for you.”

“Don’t come unless you do, Waver,” Rin says, her eyes finally meeting his. There’s a look of - well, something - on his face; Rin doesn’t know what a moment’s eyebrow raise and a blink mean coming from him.

Once he’s gone, Rin flops backwards onto the bed, her father’s last words to her still echoing in her head, mixed with Waver’s warnings of what the Association might do. Everything except death was a way for the Association to humiliate her, to keep _her_ in _their_ debt for letting her so much as live following the willful disobeying of mage law.

She had to win. Simple as that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With eternal thanks to [Penitence Road](http://archiveofourown.org/users/penitence_road) for the beta and her patience.


	4. Chapter 4

Rin sighs when she wakes up. The hotel-prison smells like porridge, which means that breakfast has been delivered. It’s only 9:00 though, meaning that after she eats and showers, she’ll have too many hours to fill with bad television and staring out her window onto Bedford Place, watching people pass by until the thought of being trapped inside sends her away from the window in red hot anger.

She lingers in bed for half an hour longer before going about her routine. It’s a blessing when she opens the curtains to find that the rain is bucketing down today, making the already drab city even greyer. Brightly coloured rain boots and oversized umbrellas line the street, and Rin tries to focus on those. She manages, until a knock sounds on the door.

“10:45?” Rin mutters, casting a glance to the clock, then the door.

Waver doesn’t walk in. But then, neither does an Enforcer. Instead, a woman walks in, with one of those immaculately picked outfits that look effortless, but really took hours of coordination to get right. In this case, the clothing consists of a light green skirt down to just below the woman’s knees, tall brown boots, a white shirt, and a head scarf that matches the green of her skirt exactly. Rin knows she should know who it is, especially since she barely knows any mages in London, but--

“Goodness,” the woman says, and the translation spell in the room activates. “You’ve grown, Rin Tohsaka.”

Rin breathes a sigh of relief. “Miss Mokri,” she says, letting that relief flow through her words. “It’s nice to see you.”

The door shuts, and Rin moves herself to sit on the bed.

“As I said countless times to you when you were eight: Zhaleh is fine,” Zhaleh replies, sitting down on Rin’s left. 

“Translation spell must’ve mangled what I said,” Rin replies, looking upward, like she can glare at the spell itself. “There was supposed to be an honorific in there.”

Zhaleh smiles, and it’s as calm and reassuring as Rin remembers from ten years ago, when she flew to London to receive her family’s crest as well as oversee the return of her father’s body. Zhaleh had been the mage assigned to host her for that week, when a Church assignment prevented Kirei from making the journey. Rin hadn’t complained at the time - it was time away from Kirei, and that was the only thing that mattered. She certainly wasn’t complaining now. “I appreciate you coming to visit.”

“I’d feel awful if I didn’t,” is the response. Zhaleh shifts a little on the bed and crosses her ankles. “What the Association is doing to you isn’t fair, and it hurts me to see someone that I’ve looked after in such a position.”

“You’re not the first person to say that it’s unfair.”

“I probably won’t be the last, either. Had it been any other mage, they wouldn’t be going through this process.”

Rin pauses. Zhaleh’s tone isn’t bitter, but the edge in it is unexpected. “You think so?”

“Mm,” Zhaleh says. “European mages have gotten away with much, much more than what you’re being accused of.”

“--Really?”

“Really.”

Rin forces her face to remain curious, rather than irritated. Zhaleh continues. “European mages tend to be contradictory – they form close bonds and inter-marry to strengthen those ties, but spend a lot of energy one-upping each other or else engaging in feuds that trace back to the 14th century. Many of the older families have close connections within or are a part of the Association’s higher echelons, meaning that the Association will often turn a blind eye to those that break the rules. But since they think of the east in unkind terms, with no real significance, they don’t maintain a presence there. Meaning that--”

“--Because I don’t have the connections, they know they can prosecute me and use it to make it look like they’re following their laws,” Rin finishes.

Zhaleh laughs. “I suppose you’ve gotten legal support already, then.”

“Yes,” Rin confirms. “Someone has been going over my defense with me.”

“Good,” Zhaleh murmurs. “Have you and your legal counsel discussed what to do if you’re found guilty?”

Rin shakes her head no. “It hasn’t come up yet, no.”

Zhaleh lips thin into a frown. “That’s poor planning on that person’s part.” Her eyes glance at Rin’s desk, and rest on her notebook. “Is that where you’ve been writing the arguments?”

“Yes,” Rin says, watching as Zhaleh stands up and plucks the notebook off the table. “Why?”

“No reason,” she replies, finding a pencil next to the empty breakfast dishes, and opening to a blank page. Rin isn’t sure what she’s writing, or why, but the way Zhaleh’s hand moves as she writes is worrisome. It’s quick and heavy and, most importantly, hurried. “You have lovely penmanship.”

“Thanks?”

“You’re welcome,” Zhaleh says, putting a final period down and then tossing the notebook to Rin. When Rin stares at it blankly, Zhaleh gestures downward at the page.

 _This is a plan of the courtroom_ the paper says. _If there’s a guilty verdict, and you can get yourself out of the Association’s grasp, please come to the following address. There will be a way out of England waiting for you._

Rin glances at the address, then at the little diagram of the room, before looking back to Zhaleh. “I’ll consider it.”

Zhaleh nods in return. “I don’t think I’ll be able to visit again. Good luck with your preparations, Rin.”

“Thank you,” Rin says, watching as Zhaleh heads towards the door. She looks down again, expecting the information on the page to disappear. When it doesn’t, Rin tears the page out and folds it up, before hiding it under the mattress. It’ll be something to memorize, and then destroy in a day or so.

***

Waver walks in at 15:00, a thick legal envelope tucked under his right arm. He’s in a suit today - a proper one, black, with tie and all, instead of the grey thing with a t-shirt underneath - his usual grumpy expression replaced with something grimmer.

“From Sakura,” he says, immediately offering Rin the envelope. She takes it, perfectly aware of how stiff Waver’s demeanor is. 

“What’s going on with you?” she asks, carefully removing the papers in the envelope.

“I have a meeting at five o’clock,” he says simply, like the word meeting explains everything.

“Related to this?”

Waver nods. “Yes. Anyway, those are all the things that Miss Sakura was able to find. They’re the financial records you asked for, covering eight out of the ten years that Kirei Kotomine was in charge of the Tohsaka finances. They should help. Also included are examples of Kotomine’s dealings with land owned by your family that he sold to various--”

“-- _He sold how much_ of our land to developers?!” Rin shrieks, throwing the papers across the room. They slam into the wall with a satisfying _fwomp_ , before scattering everywhere. Waver watches as they settle. 

“Well,” he says. “I doubt anyone is going to argue against how genuine that reaction is. Remember the date and time this happened, if you’re contradicted on how much Kotomine didn’t tell you.”

Rin responds with a precise glare, which, to her surprise, causes Waver to shrink. Wordlessly, he bends down and begins to gather up the documents, giving Rin a precious few moments to cool down.

“Can I hand these to you with full trust they won’t go flying again?” Waver asks, once everything is up and off the floor.

“Put them on the desk,” Rin instructs. “That little son of a--”

“--Focus,” he says, his tone calm and even. “I heard that you had another visitor today.”

Rin nods. “Zhaleh Mokri. When I came to London to get my family’s crest, she looked after me and walked me through the process.”

“Did she say how she felt about the situation, one way or the other?”

“Not really, no,” Rin sighs. “Only that she thought the whole thing was unfair and with any other group of mages, the charges wouldn’t have happened.” She decides that Waver shouldn’t know about the potential escape plan. It’ll ensure his safety if Rin decides to go through with it.

Waver hums thoughtfully. “She’s an Iranian mage; she would have that opinion.”

“Why is she here to begin with? I thought the mages in the Middle East hated the ones in Europe.”

“Oh, they do!” There’s a faux cheer in Waver’s voice that Rin doesn’t understand, and his next statement makes the tone even more confusing. “Generally they want to destroy each other. Middle Eastern mages are one of the reasons that magecraft survived in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, and the Association treats them like rubbish.”

“That doesn’t answer why she’s here.”

“Every so often, mages from the east and the west think that working together might encourage an overall reconciliation. So, they’ll go to each other’s learning institutions and work there, become a part of the politics there, and inch towards something like the two groups getting along. The process is glacial, but it’s been working. Plus, sometimes, one has to leave their home country due to politics.”

The explanation makes sense, and Rin goes with it. “You could’ve just said it was because of politics in Iran.”

“That’d only be half of the explanation,” Waver replies.

Rin rolls her eyes at the insistence on precision. “Shall we begin going over your last argument?”

Rin nods. “Only because you’re in such a hurry.”

“Thank you.”

Rin stands up, and returns to the spot between the window and the bed, just as before. She clears her throat, looks to Waver, and begins. "The final charge against me is the most serious. It is against our laws for any mage to open a gate to the Root without the supervision of the Mage’s Association. This rule has been in place to prevent potential damage to the mages involved with such an activity, to protect the location that they are performing the ritual in, and to safeguard the secrecy that magecraft requires in order to survive in the modern world. I do not deny that a gate to the Root was opened on property that I am in charge of without the proper supervision, nor will I deny that I helped to _close_ the gate. I understand that this charge assumes that I also helped to open the gate - something that is pointedly untrue - but I would like to go into further detail about what happened, why the gate was opened to begin with, and what choices I had to make in a time-sensitive situation that made contacting the Association impossible.

"I was aware that it is traditional for the Association to send at least one mage to fight in the Grail War - this was a statement I overheard my father making, as well as something I read in his notes after his passing. What I did not realize at the time was that this tradition was not only out of respect for the Association, but also to provide at least one Association mage to supervise the potential opening of the gate to the Root, if the ritual was completed. With that said, this tradition did not and _does_ not recognize the high mortality rate that comes with being a master in a Grail War, meaning that there has always been the chance of the gate to the Root being opened without the Association's representative being present. In addition, this tradition fails to acknowledge the chaotic pace of the Grail Wars, which do not permit much, if any, time to contact the Association.

"In my case, I will ask you to recall that I was unaware that the Association's representative had not only arrived, but been murdered by Kirei Kotomine. Having no knowledge of her death, and not knowing the true reason the Association always sends a representative, I had no reason to think the situation unusual and go about contacting the Association. Moreover, I had to keep an eye on the masters and servants I did know about, meaning that when it became clear that I _needed_ to contact the Association, I didn’t have the opportunity. When the gate to the Root opened, I--” Rin knows she’s choking on her own words. They’re impossible to swallow. "The gate had been opened by another mage, using the Einzbern homunculus in order to do so. The grail was there, but it had begun to form its own army of shadows, threatening to destroy--"

She pauses, hands starting to shake.

“Stop,” Waver says softly. “I know that the final fight is always the hard one to talk about.”

Rin forces the lump in her throat back down, trying to steady herself. “You’re not the one that has to do so in a room full of people.”

Waver nods in agreement. “True enough. So if you can’t talk about it, can you--” he pauses, leaning over to the desk and grabbing Rin’s notebook.

“I’ll try,” Rin says, taking it from him. The pen she was using is still jammed into the spiral binding, and she begins to write on the second-to-last sheet of paper. She thinks Waver says something about it being a good sign she tried to do the last argument without even holding onto the notebook, but Rin’s not sure. The paper, and a steady hand, is all that’s important. 

“Here,” she says, after a few minutes of quiet. “That’s what happened. Translation spell’s already on the page.”

Rin can’t bring herself to watch Waver look over the retelling, but she imagines every word as he must be reading it. _The grail was corrupted by a past servant named Angra Mainyu - a Zoroastrian version of Satan. Someone summoned him in another war, and he got stuck in the grail. My sister, Sakura Matou, was made to be a grail vessel, like the Einzbern homunculus, and that connection allowed Angra Mainyu to overtake her, so he could become incarnate himself. Sakura was the one who opened the gate, and I was going to have to kill her so I could close it, and close it fast. Contacting the Association didn't occur to me, and it would have taken them too long to get here if I had. Besides, they would have had to kill Sakura, and I wasn't going to let that happen if I could avoid it._

We fought, for a very long time, her with the powers the Grail and Angra Mainyu provided her. I used a dagger against her. We managed to find a way to sever her connection to the grail and, as a result, Angra Mainyu, but that sudden change in prana left her weak. We left, permitting a third person to close the gate. Obviously, he did.

“Yes,” Waver says, closing the notebook and handing it back to Rin. “I can see why you would find that hard to talk about, and why you’d prefer to leave it out of your defense.”

“That’s as general as I can make it,” Rin adds, taking the notebook and resting it atop her lap.

Waver pauses to adjust his tie, and breathes out. “Perhaps it can be modified further.”

“ _How_?” The question should come out as incredulous. Rin manages exhaustion.

"The grail was corrupted by a past servant, Angra Mainyu, whose presence in the Grail also accounts for the Great Fuyuki Fire that occurred during the time of the Fourth War. Mainyu's presence in the grail was unknown until the final stages of the war, meaning that things were quickly coming to a close. Moreover and more importantly, he had taken possession of the Grail vessel - and here you'd need to explain what that is and its significance - and managed to open a gate to the Root. All of this left me with no time to contact the Association, never mind allow for them to send a supervisor, and closing the gate became my primary goal. Mainyu was defeated, and the gate was closed."

“Write that down,” Rin says, shoving the notebook back to Waver. “Quickly, before you forget the wording.” 

Waver takes the notebook back and scribbles furiously on the page opposite Rin’s explanation. His writing slants terribly, but it’s legible, and that’s what’s important. “You might,” Waver says, once he’s done writing, “have to elaborate more on a few things, but--”

“--But I’m not going to stop up so easily, I don’t think,” Rin finishes, eyes skimming the paragraph again.

“Can you work on memorizing everything we’ve been over thus far?”

Rin nods. “Yes.” She finally closes the notebook up, and places it aside. “Who’s the meeting with?”

“My patron.”

“I wasn’t aware lords had patrons.”

Waver smiles grimly. “This one does. And this lord’s patron is not quite thrilled about me helping you, so I’m meeting with her to explain why this is to her family’s advantage.”

“You mean your family’s,” Rin corrects.

“No,” Waver says. “ _Her_ family’s. I didn’t inherit this title, Miss Tohsaka; it was gifted to me after the first holder of this title passed away, and even then, I had to fight tooth and nail for it.”

“Who had it first then?”

Waver’s voice is solemn. “Kayneth Archibald. He participated and died during the Fourth Holy Grail War.”

“I guess that’s why they’re uneasy about having anything to do with this,” Rin says. “Bad memories.”

“That and it makes them look as if they made a bad choice giving me the title, if I choose to side with people the Association chooses to punish,” Waver adds. “Most of them dislike me already, since I’m a third generation magus, and an outsider to their family. Any incorrect decisions I make as Lord El-Melloi II justify their dislike further.”

“That’s dumb,” Rin says, feeling Waver’s eyes on her. “If your patron picked you, and she’s head of the family, they don’t get to question her judgment.”

A smile flickers across Waver’s face. “No, but she values their input as much as mine on political matters. And this,” he says, “is most certainly a political matter.”

“How big is her family anyway?”

Waver sighs. “Sizeable, and well entrenched in most mage institutions due to their age. One of their family members has been working at Lloyd’s of London for years, insuring magic items and family crests, all under the nose of the organization - I mean, not that any of those things would be weird for Lloyd’s, the firm’s built a reputation for making policies to legally insure things like fingers and legs. Anyway, the point is that my patron trusts me, and I’ve yet to seriously mess up in her eyes.”

Rin nods. “Ultimately, what does her approval of your actions mean for me?”

“In the short term,” Waver says, “she’ll probably attend the trial with me. In the long term, I don’t know. Like you, she’s still young, and may not even think to contact you once this is over, or else she might want to talk about the experience of being a young head of a family. Knowing her, if you two got on, she’d try and develop an alliance.” He shrugs. “Might be an avenue worth exploring after this.”

“Maybe. If there’s an _after_.”

Waver responds with silence, the weight of Rin’s words crushing down on them both. Rin watches as he shifts uncomfortably against them, tries to find a sort of peace with the reality they threaten.

“You should get going,” Rin says, once the silence has gone on for too long. “Will you be coming tomorrow?”

“Day after. Tomorrow the Clock Tower alchemy department is having a meeting that I can’t get out of.”

“The day after tomorrow then.”

“Would you like me to bring you anything in terms of drink? More coffee? Tea?”

Rin wrinkles her nose in distaste. “Absolutely not. That stuff you brought last time was awful.”

“Got it,” Waver says, picking himself up off the bed and heading to the door. “Nothing it is.”

“Good,” she calls, as he leaves, the door clicking shut behind him.

For a few moments, Rin breathes in the silence that’s returned to the room. Sakura, she figures, is probably doing the dinner dishes right now, maybe with Rider helping, and hopefully Shirou. Or maybe he’d be arguing with Sakura about who should do the dishes while behind her blindfold, Rider rolled her eyes. Could mystic eyes even roll, or could they only petrify things?

Rin tries to shove the thought aside, and heads to the window. Bedford Place stretches out before her, against London’s black sky, and she tries to ignore the palpable disappointment of the view not having changed at all. Staring outside of the same window since the last day of February has begun to grow dull.

She casts a weary glance over at her bed, then at the television, and then at her notebook, before returning her gaze to the window. Thunder rolls not too far in the distance, followed by a magnificent strike of lightening. Rin wonders if there’s meaning to that, then discards the notion. Looking for signs in anything, no matter how small, is an indicator that she’s been inside for too long.

***

Dinner comes at 19:00, and along with something that looks like a chicken breast, rice, and beets, there’s a second tray brought in. It has a telephone on it.

The two Enforcers are, yet again, new ones, with identical black suits and identical black gloves. One is tall, with closely cropped brown hair; he’s the one carrying the food. The other one is short, with the same hair, but black, and he’s the one carrying the phone. When they speak, Rin swears they have the same voice too.

“The Association has decided to permit you one phone call,” says the one who is short. “Long distance is allowed.”

Rin looks at them both, letting her disbelief shine through. The one who is tall laughs, and elbows the short one. “Told you she wouldn’t believe us.”

“I wouldn’t believe us,” the one who is short replies. “If we’re being honest.”

Rin almost smiles at that - the response isn’t empathy for her position, but the honesty is welcome.

“Look at the note next to the phone, Tohsaka,” the one who is short adds.

Even though the translation spell, Rin can hear how mangled he’s managed to make her surname. “Set the phone down,” she says. “Please.”

The one who is short does as he’s asked. Rin can feel both their eyes on her as she reaches for the note.

After she’s read it, Rin places the note down. “Is it possible to wait to make this phone call tomorrow?”

“No,” the one who is tall says. “We’re told that if you’re going to make it, you’ve got to make it now. And that it has to be brief.”

Rin nods and reaches for the phone. “I understand,” she says.

It takes a moment for Rin to remember the number, and as she dials, she prays that she has the right one. On the other end, the phone rings, then rings again. And again. And again. Rin knows the local time in Japan right now, and that Sakura will be asleep, that she’ll have wasted a phone call that--

“--Hello?” a sleepy, familiar voice answers. It’s in Japanese. Rin hasn’t heard Japanese without the aid of a translation spell in weeks. She could cry.

“Sakura!”

“Ne--” Sakura stops, alarmed. “How are you making this call? And why, did something--”

“The Association is letting me,” Rin interjects, before Sakura can finish the sentence. She prays that Sakura doesn’t need to be told that they’re probably being listened-in on. “I’m okay; don’t worry. I wanted to see how you are.”

“I’m--” the other end of the phone goes muffled for a moment, before Sakura speaks into the receiver again. “Things are okay. Miss M and I have been staying at the Matou house for now - which I guess is obvious, since you called this house and I picked up. Did you get everything that I sent?”

“I did, yes. _Thank you_.”

Something scuffles in the background. Probably Rider, Rin thinks. “Did they say when the trial is going to--” Sakura starts, only to be cut off by a yawn. “ _Oops_ , don’t think that was how I feel about what’s happening to you.”

“It’s fine,” Rin replies in earnest. “I woke you up. And the trial is on the tenth.”

“That’s soon,” Sakura murmurs. “Do you need me to send anything else? Your attorney said that he might call again and request more documents, but he hasn’t.”

“We don’t need anything else. And he’s not my attorney, he’s--” Rin searches for the right words. “Well okay, he’s my attorney.”

Sakura laughs. Under any other circumstance, Rin would respond with mild irritation, but she can only manage to shake her head at herself. “Tell me what’s going on at school.”

“Well, you’ve got lots of homework when you get back,” Sakura says, before diving into an explanation of the archery club’s exploits, new records set in gym class, and a near-occurrence of a food fight the other day. Rin listens, glad that normalcy has resumed in some parts of Fuyuki. By the time Sakura gets to discussing lessons Rin’s missed, though, a tap comes on Rin’s shoulder.

“--Time?” she whispers, covering the receiver with her hand

The one who is short nods, and Rin returns her attention to her sister. “Sakura, I’m being told I have to get off the phone, so--”

“--Okay,” Sakura replies “Will you be able to call me regardless of the trial outcome?”

“I don’t know.”

Even over the phone, Rin can see her sister deflate. “I understand,” Sakura says. “Good luck.”

“Thank you,” Rin says in return. “And be careful.”

“I will.”

Rin hands the phone back to the Enforcers when the line on the other end is dead. “Thank you.”

“Mmhm,” the one who is tall says, glancing down at Rin. “That’ll be the only call you get, Miss Tohsaka.”

Rin nods. “I understand. Please also thank whoever permitted this to happen for me.”

The one who is short stands, and places a hand on the tall one’s shoulder. “Let’s get going, shall we?”

“After you,” the one who is tall says, allowing the one who is short to pass ahead of him towards the door. They leave in single file, without another word to her.

When the door shuts, Rin tries to steady herself. Hearing Sakura, and about school, and about the fact that something like calm had crept into some parts of Fuyuki, was enough to make her cry. That Sakura had told her about all of it in a pleasant voice, likely forewarned by Waver that the Association might listen in on phone calls, was another thing entirely. Sakura could take care of Fuyuki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With eternal thanks to [Penitence Road](http://archiveofourown.org/users/penitence_road) for the beta and her patience.
> 
> Waver's patron appears [elsewhere](http://archiveofourown.org/series/23756) in other works. The relative that works in Lloyd's of London is Bryce Archibald, who appears [in this fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/616598)


	5. Chapter 5

Waver arrives at 13:00 again, bringing lunch, again. Rin waits for the tray to be set down before snatching up the single sandwich provided. “How’d your meeting go?” she asks, once Waver’s seated.

“Well enough,” Waver replies, watching Rin tear out a mighty bite of ham and cheese. “I woke up to a phone call from Miss Sakura, actually.”

Rin stops chewing, long enough to realize how stupid it must look for her to be surprised with a mouth full of food, and then swallows. “What’d she say?”

“Well, first she apologized because she forgot about time zone differences and it was six in the morning. Then she wanted to know if I knew why you had suddenly been allowed a phone call home. I said I didn’t know, and that I was unaware that this had happened.”

“Yeah, it was sudden,” Rin says, eyes moving down to contemplate the sandwich in her hand. “I guess the Association felt obligated to let me have some contact with the outside world. It was nice to hear her voice.”

“I can imagine.”

Rin responds by taking another bite of the sandwich, and chewing it thoughtfully. “Did you have anything to do with getting the Association to allow--”

“Nothing, actually,” Waver replies. “Maybe your other visitor?”

“Maybe,” Rin says thoughtfully, taking the last bite of her sandwich.

Waver’s eyebrows furrow. “There _are_ other people who would spite the Association by helping you, but as for who...” He trails off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Rin bites her lip. “Weird,” she murmurs. “Can you look into it?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.” Rin takes the glass of water off of the tray and takes a sip, if only to let the uncomfortable question of who arranged her phone call pass over. “What are we going over today?”

“Questions they’ll use to poke holes in your defense,” Waver says. “Did you end up memorizing that last chunk of it?”

“I did,” Rin confirms. “It still won’t be easy, but it’s better than before.”

“Good,” Waver says, crossing one leg over the other. “So, as far as the first charge and your defense goes. They’ll want to talk about when command seals appeared, since that’s a clear warning sign that the war is going to begin.”

“True,” Rin says, pausing to think. “But having them appear fifty years ahead of schedule? Scrambling to get things in order is the only way to describe what happened next, and--”

“--Good,” Waver says. “You’ll want to elaborate there. Next part. With the usual Tohsaka abilities to clear damage up available, why wasn’t this done?”

“Kirei. He had that knowledge, and I was too young to learn what to do at the time, and he wasn’t teaching me when I became mature enough to conduct family business on my own.”

Waver nods in approval. “The Einzbern and Matou. Where are they in all of this?”

“Zouken Matou is dead, Shinji Matou is dead.” Rin pauses, then adds, “The Einzbern have always been distant - an irony since they spearheaded the creation of the Grail Wars - and are letting the Tohsaka take the fall.”

“Why didn’t you, when it seemed like Kirei was keeping things from you, contact other mages?”

“Association mages are a rarity in Japan,” Rin says, getting used to Waver’s pace of rapid fire questions. “None are within a travelable radius in Fuyuki besides.”

“Why do you keep bringing up the Fourth War?”

“Because no one was held accountable for that, and for the Association to apply its laws so erratically reflects poorly on them.”

“ _Excellent_ ,” Waver says. “They’ll probably ask about the financial records, so look at them to find any holes. I didn’t want to go over them, since it seemed improper to look at your bank statements.”

“It is, and thank you for not doing so,” Rin replies. “Charge two?”

“It’s your word against Kirei Kotomine’s in regard to your knowledge of Enforcer Bazett Fraga McRemitz’s whereabouts. Why should we believe you?”

“I did not know anything about her until I was told of the condition her body was in. You may ask the Enforcers that told me about how I reacted to learning what happened, they’ll confirm that it was genuine,” Rin says. “I’d also talk about how I didn’t know any additional information I learn about what they found during the trial itself, correct?”

“Correct,” Waver confirms. “Push further though.”

Rin takes a breath, then continues. “The financial records I showed you also demonstrate the poor communication that we had. Kirei Kotomine participated in the Fourth Grail War, and fought in the Fifth.”

“--He did?” Waver asks, surprised.

“--I’ll need to bring that up earlier, won’t I?”

“In the second defense, yes.”

“I’ll adjust it accordingly,” she assures him. “But I’d go on to talk about how that would be reason for him to also keep that information from me; he could have used her in a final fight.”

Waver nods. “Yes. Which brings us to charge three.”

“Go for it.”

“Are you implying that the Association did not offer adequate resources in this Grail War and in the past?”

“Yes.”

“Why would you not have realized this, and contacted us accordingly?”

“This is the first time the ritual was completed. No one could have known.”

“Good so far,” Waver murmurs. “But isn’t the goal of the Einzbern the Third Magic? Why would you not have expected this?”

“If a system fails consistently--”

“Weak,” Waver hisses.

“The system failed consistently,” Rin corrects. “Past generations made this same mistake too, yet they were never brought to trial for it.”

“Better. When you say frenzied and chaotic pace of the Grail Wars, could you elaborate?”

“Grail Wars take place at night, in order to keep things hidden from non-mages. Participants go about their regular days as well, meaning that I was fighting until sunrise, and then spending a full day at school. There is then the expectations that come with that and then my additional duties as a Tohsaka mage to control the damage and ensure that no one in Fuyuki noticed the war itself. The constant threat to one’s life during Grail Wars also factors into the chaos, as well as the need to maintain a servant. It is a taxing period of time, and one that even older Tohsaka mages have struggled with. Family records will confirm this, should you need me to get examples from Fuyuki.”

“You’re arguing incompetence.”

“No,” Rin corrects, steel in her voice. “I’m arguing that the Association fails to see the nuance in this situation, and needs to consider that in order to understand that I was without resources, without guidance, and that I do not think that they could have done any better at age eighteen!”

Waver matches steel to steel. “All I hear from you, Miss Tohsaka, is that it isn’t your fault, it’s everyone else’s!”

“I don’t deny that I made errors, that I could have acted differently, but ultimately I was forced to choose between letting chaos overtake my city by keeping that gate open, or to make an executive decision as caretaker of Fuyuki and ensure its survival. Had I kept that gate open, I still would have been here for letting my city fall. _My city stands!_ ”

A great smile overtakes Waver’s face. “Perfect,” he says, glowing.

“But is that showing that much emotion a good idea?” Rin asks. “Strategy-wise, I mean.”

“You care,” Waver says. “You’re making it clear that you care about Fuyuki because it’s your responsibility and because you love it, and that your decision was made with that in mind. It will be hard to fault any mage for that.”

“Any other questions for number three, do you think?”

“They’ll want specifics about how the gate opened. Will you be able to answer that without too much difficulty?”

Rin nods. “I should be able to,” she says. “Are you going to be at the trial?”

“I will, yes,” he confirms, the smile starting to fade. “My patron will likely be with me as well. As well as a lot of other mages you won’t know.”

“I figured that part,” Rin says. The steel in her voice is gone, replaced with resignation. “I’m not looking forward to it.”

“It’ll be hard to ignore them,” Waver agrees. “So focus on me, if you have to, or else take the occasional look at your shoes. Something to center yourself.”

“Have you been to one of these before?”

“Once,” he says. “Trials are rare, I’ve found, and are usually only done when the Magics are involved, or else the Association is pissed and wants to humiliate someone. It was a mage did experiments relating to the First Magic, and then destroyed the research. The Association was furious, and wanted to know why it was done, as well as get any information about the First Magic they could manage. It went on for about five hours. They ended up giving the mage a sealing designation, rather than killing him.”

“I bet if he had lands, they’d have been revoked too,” Rin says dryly

“Probably,” Waver agrees.

Rin stays silent for a few moments, and Waver makes no attempt to chide her for thinking about the hypothetical consequences. 

“This’ll be the last time I see you before the trial gets underway,” he says, after a while.

“Why?” Rin asks. “We’ve got two days left before the trial.”

“Officially, I can see you up until the night before the trial itself, but,” Waver sighs. “Suddenly several important mages decided that they need to monopolize my time when I’m not teaching, meaning--”

“--They’re isolating me from you on purpose,” Rin groans, giving the bed a good kick. Waver jostles with it. “Oops, sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Waver says. “And I’m as upset about the whole thing as you are - but more importantly, if you need to ask me anything else, you need to ask me now.”

Rin thinks, running through her defense case, her conversations with Waver, and settles on a single question. “What was your last fight in the Holy Grail War like?”

Waver blinks. “That,” he says, blindsided, “wasn’t the question I thought it’d be.”

“I can wait, if you need to get your thoughts together.”

“Thank you,” Waver murmurs, before falling silent. After a few tense moments, he opens his mouth again. “I stood beside Rider, who in the Fourth War was Alexander the Great. His last fight took place on Fuyuki’s bridge, against Archer. Rider summoned his great armies against Archer on that bridge, contained in a reality marble, and Archer undid the reality marble itself.”

Rin nods, to show that she’s listening, but otherwise stays silent. “And with the last of his phantasms gone, as he had lost others earlier in the war, Rider charged at Archer for a final time. I watched the whole thing.” He breathes out. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because I told you about my last fight,” Rin replies. “It seemed fair.”

“That it is,” he says. “Do you have any other questions?”  
Rin shakes her head. “I think that you’ve given all the help that you can at this point.”

“I can stay for a bit, if you just want company.”

“How bad would that look?”

“ _Very_ ,” Waver admits with a half laugh, standing up. He doesn’t go for the door though - he offers Rin his hand instead. “I’ll see you in two days.”

Rin looks from the hand to Waver for a moment, then takes it. “Thank you for your help,” she says, gripping it tightly. 

“Thank _you_ for trusting me,” he replies. “You’ll do fine.”

Rin smiles in return. “Thanks.”

Waver withdraws his hand. “I’ll see you.”

“See you in two days.”

Waver gives Rin one last nod, then shuffles to the door. With his hand on the door knob, he looks over his shoulder, and adds, “Good luck.”

Rin laughs slightly in response, and waves a dismissive hand at Waver. “Just _go_ already!”

And with that, Waver heads out the door, leaving Rin alone. She breathes out, exhausted, and heads to the window. Waver’s across the street now, heading south on Bedford Place with his hands in his pockets and scowl on his face. Two days left. She can survive two days, alone with herself and the trial hanging over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With eternal thanks to [Penitence Road](http://archiveofourown.org/users/penitence_road) for the beta and her patience.


	6. Chapter 6

Rin looks at herself in the mirror for what feels like the tenth time in ten minutes, and shakes her head. Being forced to leave Fuyuki so quickly had forced her to rush her packing, leaving her with few pieces of clothing that would be acceptable at a trial. Still, she thinks, adjusting her skirt, what she has on isn’t _bad_. The black skirt is long, and looks perfectly professional paired with a pair of leggings and simple black flats. The white turtleneck jumper isn’t terrible, but it looks just a little too baggy, like a child playing dress up. It’s that or another red sweater with a cross on it though, and Rin knows that bringing anything remotely Church-related into an Association trial is begging for a guilty verdict.

The real problems are her hair and her lack of jewelry. With magical items forbidden, Rin’s usual twin tails are out of the question, as is her red gem pendant. Her hair hanging free is _wrong_ , and going into a fight without Archer’s summoning artefact is even worse.

“It’ll do,” she says to herself, stepping back from the mirror. And it will, because if it doesn’t, what she’s wearing isn’t going to matter anyway. 

A knock sounds on the door, and a voice calls out, “Whenever you’re ready, Miss Tohsaka.”

“One minute,” Rin replies, walking over to the desk and grabbing all of her defense materials - financial records, her notebook, a pencil just in case. The door opens, revealing yet another Enforcer in yet another dull black suit, brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looks Rin over once, and nods in approval.

“Follow me, please.”

There’s no magic binding to keep Rin from running away, or even a warning of what will happen if Rin tries. It’s refreshing, as is the cold London air that greets Rin’s face when they walk out.

“Careful of the puddles here,” the Enforcer says, stepping over a particularly large one as they approach the end of Bedford Place. “It just finished raining.”

“I could tell,” Rin says. The wetness of everything is the giveaway, of course, but more than that is the smell that every place has after it’s rained - dampness and cool earth. Rin breathes it in as they continue to walk; barely acknowledging the tourist crowds around her or really, anything at all. Fresh air after being stuck inside for a week is a blessing, one she insists on basking in.

The Enforcer turns down Montague Street without a word, and Rin keeps pace. The buildings are all nondescript - white brick on the first story, and brown brick going upwards - and the few signs on the buildings are all for hotels. “You’ll forgive the long walk, I hope,” the Enforcer says as they turn and walk down Montague Place. “I thought you might want a little bit of time outside.”

“I did, thank you,” Rin says, looking from the Enforcer to the back of the British Museum. It’s strange, looking at the museum and knowing that as tourists walk about, admiring artefacts both stolen and gifted, there are dozens of mage workshops under their feet, along with the Association’s government offices. 

The Enforcer makes another turn, this time onto Gower Street. There’s a block of particularly nondescript brick buildings there, and Rin doesn’t think anything of it as the Enforcer walks up to one of the blue doors and knocks. The door opens, and the Enforcer motions for Rin to head in first.

“Good luck,” the Enforcer says as Rin walks past her.  
Before Rin can respond, the door closes, and her stomach drops. There’s another Enforcer waiting for her, and he wordlessly begins to walk away. Rin follows, because that’s the only thing she can do. The plain yellow corridor is surprisingly unremarkable, as is the simple white room that she’s shown into. The sofa and table match the wall colour, and a carafe of water sits on the table, along with a few muffins and a bowl of fruit.

“You’ll be escorted into the courtroom when it’s time to begin,” the Enforcer says, voice droll. This must be routine for him. “You’re welcome to the food provided.”

Rin nods in thanks, and takes a seat at the table. Once the Enforcer’s gone, she plops down the defense material, and offers a particularly large muffin a glare. “You’re not full of truth serum or anything, are you?” she asks it.

The muffin doesn’t respond. Rin decides the silence is a good enough answer, and takes a bite.

***

When the door opens again, Rin is poring over her notebook one last time, murmuring to herself. She knows the words, she knows what she needs to emphasize, and she knows that there is an escape route open to her if she needs it. The door behind her creaks open, and Rin straightens up.

“It’s time,” the Enforcer from earlier says.

Rin gathers her papers to her, stands up, and then tucks them under her arm. It’s impossible for Rin to ignore the slight tremor in her step as she heads through the door, but it’s gone by the time she’s been led down a narrow corridor and brought face-to-face with a pair of oak doors, their bronze door knobs glinting in the overhead lights. Wordlessly, the Enforcer opens the door, and Rin walks into the courtroom.

In spite of Zhaleh’s diagram, Rin is surprised by what’s before her. The room is likely the back half of all of the houses on the block, making it feel like the nave of a church. But whereas a church would have ornamentation, the walls are a plain off-white, the floor under her a grey marble. At the far end is a podium, reserved for the judge and a single table with a chair rest in front of it, for the accused. Seats run down both sides of the room, arranged one-atop-the-other like the place is a sporting venue instead of a place to hold a trial. Rin memorizes every detail as she walks down towards the podium, focusing on the magecraft in the air rather than the stares being given to her by the other mages present. She can sense what spells are in place, and slowly, her brain starts to work out how to counter them, how much time it’d take to undo them and if she’d have enough energy to break through each and every one and still make it to the tube station in one piece. _Possible_ , Rin decides.

Rin begins running through the correct counterspells once she seats herself at the defendant’s table, and considers the right strength for Gandrs. It’s preferable to listening to the murmuring coming from all sides of her, although for a moment, a flash of red catches Rin’s eye. She turns to see Waver sitting in one of the seats closest to the judge’s podium. He gives her a nod, then turns to speak to the person on his left. She’s young, Rin notes, with blonde hair and a navy suit on. Probably his Archibald patron.

Before any other thought can come to Rin, a voice rings out over the sea of mutters.

“All rise for Judge George Ashman.”

In unison, the room gets to its feet. Unlike Rin, Judge Ashman doesn’t walk down the room from the back entrance - he appears from Rin’s left, beyond the end of the seating, and walks up to the podium from behind. 

“Be seated,” he says, once he himself has taken his seat on the podium. Rin tries not to show any surprise at the judge’s long white wig, or at the black robes with elaborate gold trim and silver bands. It’d scream unprepared, and she can’t have that, even if it looks more than a little silly. So she focuses on Ashman’s face. He’s older, probably older than Waver, with greying hair poking out from under his wig, his face a picture of neutrality. The glasses he has on - oblong, with thin frames - give nothing away either. 

“This particular court has been called to order so that the case between the Mage’s Association and Rin Tohsaka, Sixth Head of the Tohsaka Family and caretaker of Fuyuki, Japan may be settled.” His deep voice drips with authority, and Rin can’t imagine that he’ll be kind to her. “Miss Tohsaka,” he says, looking down to address her directly. “Are you present?”

Rin nods. “Yes, Your Honour.”

“Let the record show that due to language barriers, a translation spell has been used in this room,” Judge Ashman continues, looking over the entire courtroom. “Should the spell misfire, we will pause the proceedings until the matter is fixed. Otherwise, we will continue this trial with no interruptions. Do all in this courtroom understand?”

“Yes,” the room says as one.

“Then let us begin,” Judge Ashman says, reaching for a piece of paper on his left. “Miss Tohsaka, you are charged with the following crimes, all having taken place between the fourth and twentieth of February: first, that you, in your role as the Caretaker of Fuyuki, Japan, failed to keep the magecraft ritual known as the Holy Grail War a secret, inviting the attention of non-magecraft users. Second, that the Association’s representative, Enforcer Bazett Fraga McRemitz, died while in Fuyuki, Japan, which is your land, and that you ordered no investigation into her death. Third, and finally, a gate to the Root, the goal of all mages, opened on your property without the Mages Association’s supervision, and you proceeded to act in response to that open gate without contacting the Mages Association. Rise, and defend yourself.”

Rin centers herself with a deep breath, and then stands. Her flats scuffle a little as she walks around to the other end of the table, and then a few more inches ahead. The position forces her to focus on the judge and the judge alone, and block more of the crowd from her view.

“In regards to charge one,” Rin begins. “I fully admit that I was not able to maintain the secrecy of the Holy Grail War. However, I would like to examine why this was not possible, and what went wrong, as this charge fails to acknowledge the nuances of my situation in comparison to past Holy Grail Wars, as well as the appalling lack of resources given to me.”

It’s the easiest argument, really, and Rin goes through each bit exactly as she planned with Waver: the Grail was too early with no time to prepare; Kirei was a liar about so many things and she could back it up with years and years of financial records; the Association never gave the East any resources because they thought it wasn’t worth the investment. Judge Ashman’s face is a perfect blank when Rin speaks, and remains as such when he looks over the years of bank statements while Rin points out all of Kirei’s money-managing issues.

When Rin gets to the comparison to the Fourth War though, she pauses, just to collect her breath. Judge Ashman peers down at her. “Is there more, Miss Tohsaka?”

“Yes,” Rin nods. “Simply pausing to relieve my throat.”

He nods, and maybe he understands. It probably isn’t the first time he’s seen a mage on trial and dealing with nerves. “The other reason that I contest this charge,” Rin says, her moment of rest past, “is due to how the Mage’s Association handled the Fourth Holy Grail War.

“For those of you unaware, the Fourth Holy Grail War concluded with a massive fire in the heart of Fuyuki. Public buildings, as well as private homes, were destroyed, and many lives lost. This is in addition to a host of child murders that took place at the time, as well as the destruction wrought upon various areas of Fuyuki including dockyards, and a monster summoned by magic in the Mion River itself which attracted public attention.” Waver hadn’t told her about that; Rin had read it in her father’s notes before the Fifth War began in earnest. “While my father, Fuyuki’s past caretaker Tokiomi Tohsaka, passed before the war ended, as did Father Risei Kotomine, the overseer assigned by the Church, they were not the only people that could have been held accountable for the destruction the Grail caused. The Einzbern were not brought to trial, nor were the Matou. I mention this not to shrink responsibility, but to point out that this ritual was founded by three families - all three families share its burden. To focus on only one when bringing up criminal charges is inappropriate. This observation, along with all my other defenses against this first charge, should cause it to be dropped.”

Judge Ashman’s face is still neutral, but there are low murmurs in the room. Rin doesn’t dare do anything, not even breathe a sigh of relief, but she appreciates the moment of silence granted to her.

“Thank you, Miss Tohsaka,” Judge Ashman says. “How do you defend against the second charge?”

Rin waits a moment more before speaking. “In regards to my failure to look into the assassination of Enforcer Bazett Fraga McRemitz, I will say this: I was not aware that she had been dispatched to Fuyuki by the Mage’s Association in order to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War. This ignorance is due to the presence of Kirei Kotomine, whom we have already discussed in some depth, but I feel that I must explain further, especially in relation to Enforcer McRemitz’s death.”  
She continues, approaching the judge’s podium with more records, making sure to elaborate even more on Kirei’s untrustworthy nature, as well as mention his participation in the Fourth War. Judge Ashman nods to show he understands, but says nothing until Rin has finished.

“Very well,” he says, and Rin swears some tiny part of him isn’t convinced. Whatever information Waver was keeping from her, that he said would come up during cross examination, Rin hopes it’ll cause the charge to be dropped. “How do you defend against the third charge?”

“The final charge against me is the most serious,” Rin says. A lump threatens to rise in her throat, but she forces it down. With a grim smile, she continues. “The law states that it is against mage law to open a gate to the Root without the supervision of the Mage’s Association. The law is in place to prevent potential damage to the mages involved with such an activity, as well as the location that they are in, as well as ensure the secrecy of the ritual which is so key to our modern survival as mages.” Rin keeps her voice even; it’s _crucial_ to keep it even right now. “I do not deny that a gate to the Root was opened on property that I am in charge of, nor will I deny that I helped to close the gate. However, I did not open it, and in closing it I had to make an extremely time-sensitive decision that failed to allow me any time to contact the Mage’s Association, lest greater disaster fall upon my lands.”

The steadiness continues as she talks about how the lack of both Enforcer and Association resources hindered her, and then, with another breath, continues on to say, “The ultimate reason that this law was defied, though, was due to the circumstances of the war itself. A past participant in the Holy Grail War, Angra Mainyu - the Zoroastrian equivalent to the Christian Satan - was trapped in the Grail itself, and desperately seeking a way out into the modern world. His last attempt caused the Great Fuyuki Fire that came with the conclusion of the Fourth Holy Grail War.” Rin feels her hands clench, and it takes genuine effort to force them open. “This time, he took possession of a Grail Vessel, as the war itself neared its conclusion. In the ritual, the Grail Vessel becomes what is known as the Lesser Grail, which is linked to the Greater Grail, which pens the gate to the Root. I will clarify further, if you require it.”

Judge Ashman shakes his head no. Rin continues. “Angra Mainyu was the one that opened the gate to the Root, while possessing the Grail Vessel’s body. As a result, when the gate opened, I had no time to contact the Association - what was essentially Satan had just gotten ahold of an omnipotent wishing device _and_ the Root, and needed to be stopped. As Fuyuki’s caretaker, I was forced to choose between acting appropriately to contact the Association, thus risking all of Fuyuki and perhaps beyond, or to close the gate to the Root as quickly as possible, in order to protect my domain and save lives. This decision had to be made in an instant. I chose to protect Fuyuki, and as a result, it still stands. I do not take that fact lightly.”

The room goes quiet, and all eyes focus on the judge. He, in return, gestures for Rin to take her seat again. Once she’s done so, he clears his throat.

“Thank you for your defense, Miss Tohsaka,” he says politely. “You may stay seated during cross examination, understood?”

Rin nods. “Yes, Your Honour.”

“Let us examine your arguments from the first charge,” Ashman says, picking up a piece of paper and examining it. “Your third defense brought up Angra Mainyu being responsible for the the Great Fuyuki Fire - something that you believe the Association should have approached the Einzbern and Matou about, in order to hold them accountable for failing to keep the ritual of the Holy Grail War a secret. Do you believe that Angra Mainyu’s presence explains the too-early appearance of the Holy Grail?”

“It might,” Rin says. “But I cannot say yes or no with any confidence. We don’t know who summoned him, or which war he fought _in._ If he has been in the grail since the second or the third war, then there are other factors in play aside from his presence that caused the Fifth Holy Grail War to start when it did.”

“Thank you. Next question: why do you wish to include the Einzbern and the Matou when you speak of responsibility for what happens in Fuyuki? Legally, the land is the Tohsakas’ and the Tohsakas’ alone.”

Rin suppresses a thin, bitter smile. “While the land is ours, they were the ones who created the system that the Holy Grail War runs on. Had they not done that, the Tohsaka lands would be peaceful. All three families participated in the creation of the Holy Grail War, therefore all three should be held accountable for the damages it causes.”

Judge Ashman takes a moment to adjust his glasses, then continues. “Your emphasis on Father Kirei Kotomine is a key aspect of your defense. While you have demonstrated his irresponsibility for Tohsaka finances, thus suggesting that such actions would not be limited to the management of funds. I would like to ask you why you believe he would act in this way. He was, after all, your legal guardian, assigned by your father.”

“I do not pretend to understand Kirei Kotomine’s motivations.” It’s so hard not to say his name without letting anger leak into the syllables. “Or why my father trusted him. I can only point out that he communicated poorly with me, and acted against the best interests of my family.”

“We’ll return to Father Kotomine in a moment. Before we do so though, please, tell me this: do you believe that having more resources from the Association would have impacted how you handled the Holy Grail War?”

Rin doesn’t answer for a moment - the question’s too general. Besides, if the Association had been involved, Sakura would have been killed before Angra Mainyu did _anything_ at all. “Had I the opportunity to speak to experienced mages, I could have gotten help in media cover-up, or else in finding those that broke the rules of secrecy and taking them out of the war entirely.”

“I see.” Judge Ashman turns over the paper in his hands and casts a glance down at it. “Let us move onto charge two. Were you aware of the condition that the Association found Enforcer Bazett Fraga McRemitz’s body in?”

“No, Your Honour. This information was kept hidden from me.”

Judge Ashman nods. “I see. Could you offer us insight into why her arm might have been cut off?”

Rin blinks. “I’m sorry,” she says, surprised. “Her arm was what?”

“Cut off,” he repeats. “Prior to her death, according to the autopsy.”

“It,” Rin says, thinking, thinking, thinking. “In the past, participants have stolen what are known as command seals - ways to control a servant - from each other, by cutting off the hand or arm of other participants.”

Ashman’s face remains calm, but Rin thinks his eyes show some fury. “I was told she was found on church ground,” Rin adds, hoping the next few words will help rather than hurt her. “I have already stated that Kirei Kotomine participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War, and that I didn’t know that Enforcer McRemitz was participating in the Fifth Holy Grail War. It is likely that Kirei Kotomine kept me ignorant so that he could steal her command seals and participate in the war – either personally, or by use of a proxy.”

“If that is what happened,” Judge Ashman says, “then why would the Association’s correspondence with Father Kotomine include his reassurances that you were aware of the Enforcer’s imminent arrival in Fuyuki?”

“He could have simply written the information in without the matter being true,” Rin says simply. “I’ve already demonstrated his untrustworthiness. I would also like to add that while I do not doubt the Association has records of this correspondence, the individual in Fuyuki who sent me those financial records from Kotomine’s file cabinet in the church did not find any correspondence with the Association about the Fifth Holy Grail War.”

The judge nods, and places the paper down. “I’ll keep that detail in mind. Let us address your final charge.”

Rin crosses her arms on the table, and leans forward, just for a moment. The shift in posture feels good. “Please, Your Honour.”

“Why didn’t anyone know about Angra Mainyu?”

“With all due respect, Your Honour, I can’t answer that,” Rin replies. It’s bad, admitting ignorance like that, but there’s no other way to answer the question. It’d be seen through eventually. “It is entirely possible that the death toll of the Grail War he came from meant that no one was able to write records of what happened and warn against him. It is also unusual for a servant to be stuck within the Grail itself.”

Judge Ashman notes something down and continues. “You mentioned the Grail Vessel. In the past, I am lead to believe there were other vessels, yes?”

“Correct.”

“And that even during the Fourth War, the Grail Vessel kept Angra Mainyu in check. Is this also true?”

“That is my understanding.”

“Who was this war’s vessel, and why did they fail?”

“Shinji Matou,” Rin answers, without a moment’s hesitation. He’s dead; he can take the blame. “Although he was a Matou, his magecraft abilities were weak, hence the failure.”  
“With all of those questions asked, then, Miss Tohsaka, I would like to ask you this: your defense has spent quite a bit of time dwelling on the Mage’s Association. You have questioned the Association’s past actions, specifically in regard to the Fourth Holy Grail War, how its decisions about its presence in the east impacted your ability to handle a _family_ duty, and how it has chosen to prosecute you, and you yourself have pointed out that there is tension between what one must do as a caretaker for a given property versus what the Association law says. However, it feels as if you are shifting your responsibilities, and how you have failed them, onto the Mage’s Association. Why do you feel that this is an appropriate thing to do, when you are on trial?”

Rin is quiet. She went over this question with Waver before, or at least one like it, but words don’t come. She thinks that Judge Ashman’s eyes are burrowing into her, that the entire room’s are, and that gives her the answer.

“I am not shifting that responsibility,” she says. In one smooth motion, she moves from her seat back to where she was standing in front of the judge’s podium during the defense. “I have acknowledged my errors at every opportunity I have been given. I have also consistently demonstrated how much I was lacking in support during this process. In my opinion, if the Mage’s Association cannot provide me the support I need in order to do my job as Fuyuki’s caretaker, then yes, I believe it is fair to say that they share in my failure. Moreover, this opinion means that I find it appropriate for me to look at the past, when similar or greater errors happened, and ask why the laws are being inconsistently applied. It is appropriate for me to look at the other families that are a part of this ritual, and wonder why they have not been made to stand trial as well. Most importantly, it is appropriate for me to look at what my duties include as a mage and as a city’s caretaker, and prioritize them accordingly when my city is in danger. If the Association--”

Something in the back of the room _bangs_ , interrupting Rin’s concentration. She tries to move forward, but Ashman’s eyes - and everyone else’s - have left her, all trying to find the source of the noise. For a moment, Rin wonders if it’s a distraction Zhaleh’s offered, so Rin can run - and it’s tempting right now, so tempting - but the low mutters of _”Is that--?”_ and _”Oh my God_ ” cause her to reconsider.

He’s old, whoever the man is, with a head of grey hair and an equally grey beard. It’s hard to tell where one ends and the other one begins. He’s in all black, with silver decorations making his clothing look like something out of a photo of Western military men in Meiji Era Japan, and nothing about his walk screams that he’s in a hurry. Rin’s sure he must be some bigwig, that he’s just showing up now just for the sake of it, but she knows she’s wrong when he bypasses the seating area altogether.

“Apologies for the lateness,” he says to the room, approaching the judge’s podium. “But might we pause and reassign the charges so that I’m the one being prosecuted instead? The carelessness of my apprentice is my responsibility.”

He says it so lightly, but Rin can’t think where she’s met the man before. If she’s met him before. For a moment, she meets Waver’s eyes, and he looks almost as baffled as she is. Something faint stings in Rin’s crest, and suddenly the mysterious man makes sense. The founder of her family crest was taken on by a western mage as an apprentice. Apparently that mage’s family has a sense of duty.

Judge Ashman breaks the silence, and looks down at the man. “I was not aware that you still took on the role of tutor to the Tohsaka family, Wizard Marshall Zelretch.”  
“I’ve been absent for a while, haven’t I?” the man, Zelretch, says, like his absence and reappearance is just a practical joke on everyone in the room. “No matter; I’m resuming that role now. As careless as it is to open a gate to the Root without any supervision, it’s important to realize that since the Tohsaka had the thought to _close_ it due to the potential damage it might have caused, we’re looking at a now remarkable family that can do greater things in the future, with a modicum of foresight. Prosecuting that family now is hardly in anyone’s best interest. Easier to focus your anger on me, and let the Tohsaka continue for a while longer.”

“Zelretch,” Judge Ashman says, voice firm and unmoved. “You know that we cannot allow you to swoop in and defend a rebellious mage whose family you haven’t had contact with for at least a century.”

“That would be against due process in a court of law, wouldn’t it?” The man - Zelretch - looks pleased at his own question. Rin looks back at Waver, and Waver’s grinning at the jab. Zelretch turns to face the room, and addresses it directly. “Let me propose this then: Miss Tohsaka’s errors were made due to limited contact with the Association, inadequate instruction due to her father’s death, a lack of a good tutor, and an incompetent legal guardian. Having instructed her family members in the past, I take responsibility for those failures, and politely ask the Association drop those charges, since, all things considered, everything could have gone much worse. After all, you essentially have Miss Tohsaka on trial here for being forced to choose between acting as a land’s caretaker and following proper protocol in a highly time-sensitive situation - one made worse by the presence of Angra Mainyu. Anyway,” Zelretch says, tone light and cheery. “To legitimize my return as a tutor to the Tohsaka family, I shall take apprentice _s_.” He smiles. “I will teach up to three students. All the Clock Tower academic departments are to select prospects and present them at a conference in the near future."

For a second, the room is quiet, uncertain that they’ve heard Zelretch correctly. The noise that comes next could deafen a man - the mages seated, watching with pursed lips and furrowed brows, turn to each other and begin to discuss what to do, who to submit, when the conference should be, and all of them struggle to be heard. Some yell to speak with Zelretch directly, and he smiles at the room like an indulgent schoolmaster. Rin stares, from Zelretch, to the rest of the room, back to Judge Ashman, and swears that her knees are going to give out any second now.

A solid minute of constant gavel banging restores order to the courtroom. Once silence has settled - grudging, resentful - Judge Ashman clears his throat and focuses his attention on Rin.

“Rin Tohsaka,” he intones, voice as grave as it was when the proceedings started. “The Mage’s Association hereby drops all charges against you, in recognition that the timing of the Grail War left you without the proper resources and time to prepare. However, please be aware that your actions will be under scrutiny by the Association for some time in the future, to ensure that such errors do not happen again. Case dismissed.”

The cacophony of mages plotting drowns out the final bang of the gravel. Rin manages to make her way to the defendant’s table and collapses into the chair. People rush by her, probably to make emergency calls and set up last minute meetings.

The man, Zelretch - Rin is certain she’s going to mangle that pronunciation damn quick - walks over to the desk, and stands opposite her. She thinks he’s giving her a truly evaluating look, the kind the Enforcers gave her when she first appeared in London under arrest. "So,” he says, calm and good-natured. “An unremarkable parent produced a superior child. I expected the least out of Tohsaka, but you managed to reach it in just six generations."

Breathlessly, Rin manages an exhausted, “What do you mean?” She knows there’s a backhanded compliment in there, but responding to it in a clever way would drain her remaining energy.

“Precisely that,” he replies. “I’ve had quite a few apprentices over the centuries, and it always seemed as if Nagato had the least amount of ability among them. He always countered that with a rare sense of morality that you don’t see often in mages - something I’m sure you’ve noticed. It’s a good thing to have inherited, along with your abilities.”

“I suppose,” she says.

There’s a sudden hand on Rin’s head, a weight and warmth that she knows isn’t her father’s, but that carries the same sort of affection. The words that come with it are familiar too, with the same wisdom. "Use the people of the Association. It's a stiff, conservative place, but they have the tools you’ll need to move forward."

“The tools for what, exactly?” Rin asks, when Zelretch has removed his hand. “Becoming the kind of person who comes to watch a trial like this?”

“No,” he replies. “Someone who can take advantage of resources available to her, and then use them to a positive effect - whatever that might be in the future. We will discuss it more when we begin lessons. In the meantime, you’ll need to get financial sponsorship to remain in the United Kingdom. If my sources are right, I believe you’ve already met someone who can assist with that. Once you’ve got all of that settled, we can begin your lessons.”

Rin opens her mouth, a dozen questions on the tip of her tongue - what he had in mind to teach her, if he was the one that allowed her that precious phone call home to Sakura, how he managed to do that _quietly_ without the Association noticing his return, why he had waited until now to show up - but Zelretch is gone before she can say anything. 

She can ask later, Rin decides, when lessons begin. Certain that there’s no one else in the room, Rin breathes out, and listens as the exhale bounces off the high ceilings of the courtroom. It’s likely not the first time the walls have heard such a sound, and it won’t be the last either. The sense of relief is a triumph Rin never expected to welcome.

Reality hits a moment later, and Rin groans. She needs to call Fuyuki and find out what’s going on there, now that her territory is back under her control.

***

“Thank you Sakura, I’ll get in touch when I can,” Rin says into the phone’s receiver, before hanging up.

“Will you need to use the phone tomorrow too?” Waver asks, looking up from his laptop. He’s been sitting in his office for the entire call, letting Rin run up a truly alarming phone bill that he can pass onto his department to pay.

“Day after,” Rin corrects, finally giving her surroundings the once-over. Waver’s office is an awkward size - more length than width - crammed with modern books and bright posters littered with advertisements for things like “Aquarian Guide to Occult, Mystical, Religious Magical London and Around” complete with cartoonish illustrations of what everyone else thinks magic is like. There’s a brown spot on the ceiling, and the window looks as if it only has a view of an alley.

“Understood,” Waver replies. “You need at least a day to rest. Have you gotten a hotel room for the time being?”

Rin nods. “On the other side of the river, yes. I’ll figure out the transportation system, don’t worry.”

“If you’re sure,” Waver says, grabbing a scrap of paper and writing something down on it. “This is my mobile number, in case you have any emergencies.” 

Rin pockets the paper, wordlessly, and looks past Waver, out the window onto the alley. After a moment, she asks, “Do you think I would have won if things hadn’t been interrupted?”

Waver frowns, and leans back in his chair. “That’s a dangerous game to be playing.”

“Yes or no.”

“Fifty-fifty,” he says, after a moment’s consideration. “It would have depended on your answer to that last question, as well as the judge’s general mood. I’d say you got lucky with that sudden interruption, but given that Zelretch has a reputation for breaking students as much as he has for moulding them, I’m reserving my judgment.”

Rin wrinkles her nose at the notion. “He said that I should use the Association and the tools available to me here. It sounds too cruel, though.”

“It’s good advice, although perhaps not well-worded,” Waver says, stretching his arms over his head.

“How would you phrase it instead?”

“Take advantage of what you can accomplish here, and learn everything you can,” Waver says, thoughtful. “Have a plan for your future, and what you want to accomplish. Have a degree of flexibility though, and hang onto your sense of morality. Be clever enough to use situations to strengthen yourself, and your reputation, and focus on making sure that reputation reflects your morals. Be kind, but don’t allow yourself to be taken advantage of. Make yourself known as someone who does decent things and you’ll attract decent people to you. With a circle like that, you can change a lot here. Know where you mean for everything to end.”

Rin nods thoughtfully, eyes moving from Waver to the ceiling. “I see,” she says. After a moment, she adds, “I’m going to need a place to start, then, so I can do all of that.”

Waver sighs, and shakes his head tiredly. “Is that your way of asking me for help in regards to legally remaining in the UK?”

“If you’re willing to take the responsibility.”

“Somehow,” Waver mutters, opening a new browser window and typing _UK + Sponsorship_ into Google. “I suspect that if I said no, Zelretch would find a way to convince me.”

Rin laughs. “Probably.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With eternal thanks to [Penitence Road](http://archiveofourown.org/users/penitence_road) for the beta and her patience.
> 
> Zelretch's dialog comes from the translation of the epilogue of Heaven's Feel, but has undergone some modification in order to make more sense, and sound more natural in regards to dialog.
> 
> [Waver's poster is entirely real.](http://37.media.tumblr.com/46ebce35bd8c0ca962bec45a38a3a88e/tumblr_n0tmd5QQi71qeoxqgo1_1280.jpg)


End file.
